


Slow Dance

by Myqueenmarceline



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Angst, Author is making things up as she goes along, Bonnibel has Anxiety, Canon events but then I go on afterwards, F/F, I have like 6 chapters outlined, Post-Canon, Reparing the relationship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-01 12:15:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14520357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myqueenmarceline/pseuds/Myqueenmarceline
Summary: The story of Marceline and Bonnibel working to fix their relationship.(It begins with Marceline's song Slow Dance, and then becomes canon divergent from there)





	1. Realization

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, another longer bubbline story. I love them so much and I can't stop coming up with ideas.
> 
> I can guarantee that a new chapter will be out in about a month's time, but no promises before that.

Bonnibel sucked in a breath as the ghost began to sing. That voice… She gripped the arm of her chair, covering her mouth. It was too much. She needed time to process this.

With fumbling fingers she muted the computer, the footage from her hidden camera showing a silent Marceline continuing to sing. She turned away, unable to muster up the effort to actually pause the footage. Her gaze stayed focused on the ground, unaware as the concert devolved into chaos.

Her glasses had fallen somewhere, and the room had taken on a soft blur through her unshed tears.

She had to face the facts.

1\. She still wanted Marceline. She wanted her so badly that it made her chest ache.

2\. If this song was any indication of her true emotional state, then Marceline felt the same way she did.

So, what was stopping her from approaching Marceline again? She was unable to deny it any more… She was afraid. She was so terrified that it closed up her throat and made breathing feel like an impossible task.

She could not shake the feeling that something ominous was looming on the horizon. What would happen if another crisis hit?

Not to mention their issues from before. What would happen if they fell back into the old patterns, with Bonnibel ignoring Marceline in favour of her work? She had been so blind at the time, believing that she could always come back to Marceline after this next experiment.

For someone who was supposed to be good at reading people, it had taken her far too long to realize that Marceline’s increasingly irritating actions were just her trying to get Bonnibel’s attention.

By the time she had noticed, it had been too late to stop the inevitable collapse of their relationship.

Would she really be able to go through another breakup if things failed to work out?

The last time had been devastating. She had not left her lab for more than three months, unable to even attempt to try talking with people. The sadness had lingered long after she had run out of tears, the excruciating pain becoming a physical pressure on her body. It weighed her down, leaving her almost completely incapable of moving. No matter what she tried to work on, her thoughts always came back to Marceline.

Could she really be better this time around? She wasn't really sure if she’d changed over the years. If she wasn't able to see it in herself, then how could Marceline possibly want her?

Bonnibel could see that this line of thinking would not lead to anything but more self-deprecating thoughts, but that did not mean that she was capable of stopping it.

Still half-blind, she wiped her tears away and reached for her phone. Even after all this time, Marceline was still the first contact listed.

It was far from easy, but she eventually willed her fingers to stop shaking enough for her to type.

“I’m sorry”

She could explain it later, when her breakdown was over. For now she curled in on herself, trying to breathe and reminding herself that it would all pass, and that she would come back to a better place soon enough.

She just had to take things slow, and everything would be alright.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marceline receives the text

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your patience while letting me finish this chapter!
> 
> PLEASE TAKE NOTE: I will be away at a writing camp from June 17th to June 30th, so I probably won't be posting another chapter until sometime after I get back home.

Her phone sat on the kitchen counter. Marceline stared very hard at the bowl of strawberries in her hands, still wondering what to make of the text she received. No, she couldn't do this. Not again.

Sometime last night during her concert, Bonnibel had sent her a text that said: “I’m sorry.” Nothing else, no context. The most recent message before that was from several months ago, about making a music competition for Finn so he would feel better.

Even if Bonnibel hadn't been specific, Marceline had a feeling she knew what this was concerning. Ever since she’d temporarily stopped being a vampire, things had been changing between them. She'd had an impression that neither of them was over each other, but she’d been hesitant to do anything about it.

She was tired of getting hurt, and she didn't want to get back together only for Bonnibel to abandon her again. How could she be sure that Bonnibel wouldn't merely get swamped with work once more and decide that she wasn't worth the effort?

Sighing, she stuck the bowl back in the fridge. Food could wait. She needed to figure out what was going on.

She’d gotten up a few hours earlier than usual, but seeing the text had drained her energy. She was tempted to try and take a nap, but she knew that it would probably just disturb her sleep schedule.

The more she mulled it over, the more she only saw one way to respond.

She and Bonnibel needed to sit down and have an honest, open conversation. Their relationship had broken down before due to a lack of communication, so if they couldn't even try it, then nothing would happen. She would see if Bonnibel wanted to try dating again, and if their expectations from each other were reasonable, then maybe they could give it a go.

It still took her almost ten tries to get the wording right on the message, absent-mindedly drinking three apples as she studied the text. Finally, she decided that this was too much effort and just pressed send:

_'I’m coming over at sundown with some strawberries, and we’re gonna talk.'_

While she could have gone right away with her sun cloak, she had no idea if Bonnibel was busy or not. In the past, having a designated time and place to meet had helped, as Bonnibel could arrange her schedule to make time for it. Besides, she was still in her pajamas. She needed to get ready.

Now, where was that recipe she’d found for strawberry cake? She might have been fine with just fresh fruit, but she wanted to make something nice for Bonnibel, especially since she was going over to her place. She didn't want to show up without anything.

Besides, she hadn't cooked for a while. Trying to figure out how to make this would provide a pleasant distraction as she attempted to pass the time until it was time to go.


End file.
